“You’re thinking they hole up in this state park and go on raids from there.”
Good, she saw it, too. “There haven’t been any incidents reported at that site so far, but all the known locations of sightings and attacks are within easy walking distance of the park. It would make sense they’d take shelter somewhere they’d have access to water and bathrooms.”
Safara looked grim. “As much as they crave the light in this world, it takes time to acclimate to it. Since the store is right outside of the park, I’m betting that was their last stop before they went to ground for the day. I’ll call Dad.”
Yeah, she should do that, but he wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines and wait for Jakes to round up his crew. The rogues might’ve taken shelter for the daylight hours, but eventually they’d be out prowling again. When that happened, more people would get hurt or killed.
“Give him a heads-up and tell him we’ll update him after we scout around. No use in him sending everyone on a wild-goose chase if we’re wrong about this.”
Safara hesitated, but then she finally nodded. “He won’t like it, but there’s not much he can do to stop us.”
Eli grabbed the broadsword down off the wall and slid it into its sheath. He laid it on the kitchen table next to Safara’s own blade. He’d been meaning to ask her about it. “I take it that style is the weapon of choice in Kalithia.”
“Yes. They’re handed down from one generation to the next. It’s one of my most prized possessions.”
She traced the intricate engraving on the blade of her sword and then glanced at Martin’s weapon collection. “It’s a beautiful work of art, and the Kalith who made it was as much of an artist as he was a bladesmith. I wish I never had to do anything but admire it hanging on my wall.”
What could he say to that? As a Special Forces soldier, his use of weapons had become second nature to him. He’d served his country and had been proud to do so. It was hard to put into words why it was important that someone had to be willing to carry a gun or even a sword and stand ready to use it. For Safara’s sake, he’d try.
“There are always going to be people in this world who are a clear and present danger to those around them. Someone has to stand against that kind of evil.”
When Safara winced, he eased closer to her and weighed his next words carefully. “Your mother was not evil. This sickness drove her to do what she did. It’s doing the same with these rogues. That doesn’t change the fact that someone has to put a stop to their violence. Not everyone is strong enough to take on that job, and those of us who do pay a high price for it.”
She turned into his embrace, resting her head against his chest. It felt so right holding her close and drawing comfort from each other. After a few seconds, she whispered, “And if I’m not strong enough? You know, to defend both worlds?”
Safara was as strong as anyone he’d ever served with, but he also understood what she was feeling right now. “Sweetheart, we all have moments of doubt. When that happens, we draw strength from those who stand beside us in the battle. Barring that, we dig down deep and find it in ourselves. It’s what makes us who we are.”
He shared his biggest shame. “I left my friends dead on that mountainside. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and just walked away. I panicked over watching my body stitch itself back together. I couldn’t stay and face the consequences of surviving.”
She pushed back far enough to look up at him. “Anyone who didn’t know such things were possible would’ve reacted that way.”
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but it felt pretty damn cowardly to walk away. I don’t know what possibility I feared more—that they’d eventually believe me or that they wouldn’t. How could I face the family and friends of the men who died that day? Their loved ones died, and I walked away without an effing scratch to show for it.”
Right now she was still trying to defend his actions. “Eli, even if you didn’t know it at the time, your decision to leave that mountain protected the secrets of the Paladins and my people. If you think people would’ve freaked out because you survived, how do you think they’d react to finding out that aliens exist and have been living among humans for who knows how long?”
All right, that was quite a stretch, enough that he could only laugh. “So I get credit for an accidental benefit from hauling ass away from a crazy situation? I’m not sure the army would look at it that way. In fact, I suspect they’d be pretty upset to find out that I haven’t told them about a possible threat to the country’s security.”
“What makes you think they don’t already know about us? Or maybe the Paladins? Those black-ops guys must have some reason to be hunting for you.”
“That thought had crossed my mind, but there’s no way to know for sure.” He gave her another quick hug while he still had the chance. “But we need to move out soon. I want to scout out that park. Once we’ve assessed the situation, we’ll contact your dad and decide on a plan of attack.”
He hesitated before finally saying, “I can do the recon by myself if you want to stay here or even go help your dad rally the troops.”
“I’m not letting you walk into a fight by yourself.” Safara picked up her sword. “I have to do this, Eli. Lives depend on it.”
Next, she tapped the badge pinned to her shirt. “I swore an oath to serve and protect. I mean to keep that promise.”
His heart did a slow roll in his chest. Damn, she was magnificent. A man could face anything life threw at him with a woman like her at his side. Too bad it wouldn’t be him. But the image of her with another man, sharing what the two of them had shared during the night, had him clenching his fists. Too bad the lucky bastard, whoever he might be, wasn’t standing right there in front of him. The two of them would have a heartfelt—and possibly hands-on—conversation about Safara and how she deserved to be treated.
“Eli, are you okay? I don’t know where you went in your head just now, but it can’t be a happy place.”
No, it damn well wasn’t. He wasn’t about to explain that he was imagining how good it would feel to beat the crap out of some guy he’d never met. Eli had no right to stake a claim on Safara when he had no future to offer her. Right now, though, he wasn’t thinking about right and wrong. They had places to go, bad guys to round up, but he wasn’t thinking about that, either.
There was only one thing he wanted—needed. And that was Safara. Anywhere he could have her, any way he could have her.
Smart woman that she was, she backed away. “Eli? What’s going on?”
He followed her step for step. “Nothing is going on. In fact, a few things are about to come off.”
To show her what he had in mind, he peeled off his shirt and then reached for the button on his jeans. She swallowed hard and took another step back. Didn’t she know never to show weakness in front of a predator? And God knows he was feeling pretty damn predatory at the moment. If she’d shown any real fear, he would’ve backed off instantly. But she wasn’t looking scared, not with the way she just licked her lips and dragged her gaze down his body to stare at the front of his jeans. He tugged the zipper down an inch. When her eyes flared wide and hot, he tugged it down a little more.
He glanced at the sword clutched in her hand. “You’d better set that down unless you plan to use it on me.”
“We don’t have time for this, Eli.”
Despite her protest, she carefully laid the sword on the table. He prowled another two steps in her direction. “We should make time.”
She started to back away again, but then her chin came up in challenge as she stood her ground. “What’s really going on here?”
“I already answered that question. I think it’s your turn to take something off. Anything at all would be fine, but I’m thinking your jeans would be a step in the right direction.” He grinned at her, letting her see the hunger raging through him. “I’d be glad to help with that, and I promise to make it worth your while.”
“I don’t kno
w what’s gotten into you.”
Truth was, he didn’t, either. However, he did know exactly what he wanted to get into her. She was right about one thing, though. They really didn’t have time for a long, drawn-out seduction. It was time to end the discussion and get with the program.
Using those fancy Paladin reflexes she’d told him about, he lunged close enough to grab her by the waist and pressed her against the nearest wall. As he captured her mouth with his, he reached for the snap on her jeans. After popping it open, he slid the zipper down. With his fingers teasing at the waistband of her panties, he rested his forehead against hers. “Tell me you want this, too.”
She stared into his eyes for a few heartbeats before nodding. “Yes.”
Her sad smile made it clear that he wasn’t the only one who knew their time together was nearly over, and the world outside was going to demand its due from them both. That’s all it took. He kissed her luscious mouth, loving that she gave as good as she got. He worked his hand down inside her panties to palm her core and gently squeezed.
She gasped and rocked her hips hard against the pressure. He broke off the kiss and stooped to peel her jeans and panties down to her ankles, where the process came to a screeching halt thanks to her boots. He dropped down to one knee to untie them. It took him two attempts to get the job done thanks to shaky hands and the temptation to stay right where he was and pleasure his woman a different way.
Instead, he carried her across the room and tumbled them both onto the couch in a tangle of arms and legs. By now she was just as eager to finish what he’d started. He shoved his jeans out of the way and got down to business. This was no gentle wooing, there was no finesse, just the overwhelming urge to make Safara his again, even if only for these last few minutes. They came together again and again, the urgency building with each stroke and each touch.
She chanted his name between demands for more. He willingly gave her everything he had, including his heart. When the tempest between them reached its crescendo, he was pretty sure he died for the second time. Maybe he just wished he had, because if this was his last time with Safara, he wasn’t sure he wanted to go on living.
But unfortunately, life went on. They both had rogues to hunt and two worlds to protect. He kissed her one more time. It was soft and sweet and tasted so damn sad.
17
They were almost back to the highway when Eli’s phone rang. He stopped long enough to fish it out of his pocket. He muttered a curse after seeing the number and swiped his finger across the screen.
“What’s wrong?”
Why would he assume there was a problem? She waited while he listened for several seconds before saying another word. When he did, it was both colorful and obscene. “Fine. I’m parked at the bottom of the road that leads up to my cabin. Safara and I will wait here for you.”
Eli shoved the phone back into his pocket. At first he didn’t seem inclined to explain what was going on, but finally he turned the engine off and slouched back in his seat. “That was Doc. He and Mike are about five minutes out.”
Then he banged his fist against the steering wheel hard enough that she half expected it to break. “Why does everything have to go all to hell at the same time?”
He didn’t stick around long enough for her to respond, instead slamming out of the truck to pace up and down the road. She gave him a few seconds to work off a bit of his temper before venturing out herself.
“What’s happened?”
He shook his head and kept moving. Eventually he would run out of steam or his friends would arrive and confirm what she already suspected: The problem with the men hunting Eli had escalated. Not what either of them needed right now, but then life rarely scheduled a crisis for a convenient time.
It wasn’t long before the sound of a vehicle approaching brought Eli’s pacing to an abrupt halt. “Get behind the truck and keep your head down.”
The man was good at giving orders but piss poor at giving explanations. Now wasn’t the time for arguments, so she did what he told her. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t revisit the situation in the future. Meanwhile, a large SUV appeared from around the corner. Its heavily tinted windows made it impossible to make out more than the vague shapes of the two men inside. Eli remained on full alert until the driver’s window rolled down and Doc stuck his head out.
“Are you going to shoot at us? Because I’m telling you right now, I’m not in the mood.”
Eli lowered his gun but kept scanning the area rather than focusing on his friends. “I thought we were all going to lie low and only get in touch in an emergency.”
Doc looked thoroughly disgusted. “We did, and it is. An emergency, that is.”
The passenger door on the SUV opened and Mike stepped out. He was sporting bruises on his face and had his left arm in a sling.
Safara left her hiding spot next to the truck and hurried over to join the three men. “What happened?”
“Someone tried to run me off the road by shooting my tire.” Mike winced and shifted his stance as if looking for a position that didn’t hurt quite so much. “When that didn’t work, they nudged my car over into the ditch. Since they didn’t stick around to finish the job, they didn’t necessarily want to kill me, although they probably wouldn’t have lost any sleep if they had. More likely it was a warning to quit poking my nose where it doesn’t belong.”
Since Eli didn’t show any signs of asking for clarification, she did it for him. “And that’s what you’ve been doing?”
Mike flexed the fingers on his injured arm. “Evidently.”
Eli picked up a handful of rocks and heaved them at the nearest tree hard enough to send chips of bark flying. “Damn it, Mike, I told you to walk away. Let them come after me directly.”
By this point, Mike’s easygoing stance had morphed into his pissed-off commanding officer mode. “Sergeant, do not presume to give me orders. You may not be on active duty, but you are still one of my men. If someone is hunting you, they have to go through me first.”
Doc started to step between his two friends, but Eli shoved him out of the way to glare down at Mike. “You could’ve been killed. I can’t have that on my conscience. Not now, not ever.”
Mike glared right back. “It’s my choice. Any consequences, good or bad, are on me, not you.”
As a deputy, Safara sometimes used her gender to ratchet down the tension when the situation called for it. With that in mind, she shoved her way between the two men. Just as she’d expected, each of them immediately took an immediate half step backward to give her room.
“That’s enough, both of you.” She put her hands on her hips and stared at each of them in turn. “I think we can agree on the fact that each of you cares deeply what happens to the other. It’s also obvious you should be combining forces against your common enemy, not threatening each other.”
While she waited for them to come to their senses, she glanced at Doc to see how he was reacting to her butting into the situation. To her surprise, he grinned and winked at her. Nice to know he approved.
Surprisingly, Eli was the first to back down. “Look, you and Doc go on up to the cabin. Safara and I have some unfinished business to deal with, and I’m not sure how long it will take. When I get back, we can make plans about what to do next. Until then, help yourself to anything you need.”
He maintained eye contact with Mike when he added, “I’m thinking it’s time that I move on. I’ve already decided to leave the country and disappear completely. That way, these guys won’t have any more reasons to come after you.”
Wait. When had Eli made that decision? It better have been just this second. Safara was going to turn violent if he’d known all along he was going to leave this soon and hadn’t bothered to tell her. Yes, they’d agreed any long-term involvement wasn’t in the cards for the two of them, but she hadn’t realized that he planned to cut off all future contact not only with her, but with his friends as well. The pain cut right through her heart, leavi
ng her bleeding and hurt on the inside, not that she’d let it show on the outside. Like the man said, they had other business to finish. Then she’d walk away, head held high, and pick up the pieces of her life.
“We’d better go, Eli, while we still have enough hours of daylight left.”
He nodded without looking in her direction. She fought a childish urge to hop up and down waving her hands in his face to force him to acknowledge she was standing right there in front of him.
“What the fuck? Eli, are those swords hanging in the rifle rack in the back window of your truck?”
Without waiting for an answer, Doc opened the passenger door of Eli’s pickup and reached inside. Safara groaned when he pulled out her sword and held it up for everyone to see as if he expected her and Eli to be as surprised by its presence as he was.
“Put it back, Doc, before you hurt yourself. That blade is sharp.”
As he spoke, Eli closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead like he had a headache coming on. She knew just how he felt. Mike headed over to look at the swords for himself while Eli remained rooted in place with a look of confused frustration on his face.
Doc went back to snooping. “You’ve also got enough firepower in here to outfit a battalion. Just what kind of unfinished business do you and Safara have going on today?”
Well, someone had to say something. When she couldn’t come up with a logical reason that the two of them were so heavily armed, she went for simple. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to forget you ever saw any of that.”
Doc looked at her as if she’d just sprouted a second head, while Mike snorted and shook his head. “Sorry, not happening.”
By that point, they were both laughing. As irritating as it was, she couldn’t really blame them. Nodding in their direction, she gave Eli a hard look. “They’re your friends, so you explain. They’ll come closer to believing you.”
For the first time since Doc’s phone call, Eli smiled, sort of. “Here’s the thing, guys: We’re on our way to scout out a state park looking for a bunch of sword-wielding crazies. We thought it only reasonable that we bring our own blades to the party.”
In Darkness Transformed Page 18
